Vision:
The Columbia Association is committed to making Symphony Woods Park an inviting place for downtown residents, workers, and the community as a whole. The Board of Directors of the Columbia Association approved the vision statement below.

Symphony Woods Park will be Columbia's central park and will serve as a gateway to Merriweather Post Pavilion. Cultural programming and art installations are anticipated at the park to complement the activities at Merriweather. The park will be a place that celebrates music, arts and nature. An inviting and beautiful woodland gathering place, it will provide venues for energetic, creative activities such as community fairs, cultural events, art and craft vendors, local artists and spaces for reflective respite.

Improvements will be designed to ensure a sustainable environment while creating attractive and desirable park features. An environmental approach to park design will continue to optimize portions of Symphony Woods Park as heavily wooded and natural. Pathways will encourage pedestrians and bicyclists to enjoy the park's natural ambiance while viewing sculpture and art. Additionally, the park will have adequate seating to provide rest and reflection of the park's beauty.

The Park will function in a variety of ways in the life of the community and provide:

• A place that reflects love of nature, arts and music through its design and its future development
• A gathering space and setting for cultural and community events and fairs
• A popular place to find craft and food vendors on weekends
• A natural place that provides respite and the opportunity for reflection, peace and appreciation of the environment
• A destination for active living offering extensive pathways that wind through the park
• A place for casual social interaction and people watching, enlivened by the attraction of park activities
• A fountain that serves as a central focus for the park and fills the area with the sounds of children's laughter, family and community
• A gateway to Merriweather Post Pavilion that will enhance the experience of attending that venue
• A connector for downtown Columbia activity centers and other downtown gathering spaces and amenity areas

Where is Symphony Woods?
Symphony Woods is 36 acre park located in Columbia's Town Center on Little Patuxent Parkway. Symphony Woods encircles Merriweather Post Pavilion, the region's premiere outdoor concert venue.

What is planned for the park?
The Columbia Association is developing a multi-phase plan for Symphony Woods Park that will make the park more inviting for everyday use and for community gatherings and events. The first phase of improvements, located between Little Patuxent Parkway and Merriweather Post Pavilion, will include an entry plaza near Little Patuxent Parkway, a larger central plaza, wide walkways, lighting, site furnishings, and parking. Future phases are expected to include a fountain at the central plaza, a small cafe with restrooms, a woodland garden, and additional paths through the whole 36-acre park.

What facilities are in Symphony Woods today?
Facilities are currently limited and include a few picnic tables and pedestrian paths through the park to Merriweather Post Pavilion.

Where is CA in the park development process?
The park development process includes many steps from the development of a concept plan though construction plans and regulatory approvals and, finally, construction. A concept plan for the park was developed and reviewed with the Columbia community in 2009. In 2010 CA hired a team of landscape architects and engineers to fit the concept plan to the site. In the design development phase, the proposed improvements and their location were refined to better accommodate existing site and environmental features of the land and to result in a park that would be more attractive to people as a destination and gathering place. Columbia Association has submitted Final Development Plans to Howard County. Symphony Woods Park is the first project reviewed under the Downtown Zoning amendments (CB- 59- 2009). A Pre-submission Community Meeting was held on Thursday June 16, 2011 at CA headquarters. While the Final Development Plans are being reviewed by Howard County CA's design team is working on Site Development Plans for the first phase of improvements.

After the Howard County Planning Board approves the Final Development Plans and associated documents a Pre-submission Community Meeting for the Site Developments Plans will be held. Then detailed Site Development Plans needed for grading and building permits can be submitted. Finally, a contractor will be selected through a competitive bidding process and construction will begin. Construction on Phase 1 improvements is expected to begin in summer 2012.

What is the purpose of the Pre-submission Community Meeting?
Howard County requires that Pre-submission Community Meetings are held prior to the initial submittal of Final Development Plans and Site Development Plans for all development projects in Downtown Columbia. The purpose of this meeting is for the Columbia Association to provide information to the community about the proposed development and to allow community members to ask questions and make comments. The developer must compile comprehensive minutes of these meetings and send them to the attendees and to the Department of Planning and Zoning when the plans are filed with the County.

What is the final development plan submittal?
The submittal package includes a Context Plan which shows information including land uses and storm water facilities within 500 feet of the site. It also includes a Neighborhood Concept Plan for the Merriweather-Symphony Woods Neighborhood, the Final Development Plan for phase one of the proposed park, a Conceptual Stormwater Management Plan for the park and a Neighborhood Implementation Document. This document addresses CEPPAS (Community Enhancements, Programs and Public Amenities) specified in the Downtown Plan. Lastly, the submittal includes Neighborhood Design Guidelines for the Merriweather-Symphony Woods Neighborhood. Together these items submitted must show that the proposed park plan is consistent with the Downtown Plan. These plans and documents are available below:

• FDP Drawing set:
  • Context Plan
  • Neighborhood Concept Plan
  • Final Development Plan
  • Conceptual Stormwater Management Plan
  • Final Development Plan
  • Neighborhood Implementation Document
• Merriweather-Symphony Woods Neighborhood Specific Design Guidelines

How can I learn more as the park design moves forward?
Sign up for Email updates below. You may also call Jan Clark at 410-381-0312.

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